iPad+AirNavPro and FS2004+FSUIPC+GPSOut

[vbazillio]

Hi everyone,

I try to manage a connection between an iPad 2* connected via BlueTooth a COM Port on a PC where FS2004 runs with FSUIPC with GPSOut.

I succeed in receiving data from FS to the iPad :

Unfortunetly the connection seems to be very unstable. Sometime it works, sometime not. My final objective is to use Air Nav Pro. It works once, then I change my FS2004 airplane location (from Tahiti to Paris) and the iPad didn't see the change. After a whole reboot (PC+iPad), I manage to see me in Paris, but after 20 secondes, GPS Stack seems not receiving any data anymore.

I don't know if it's a matter of amount of data, problem with the NMEA sentence (I really don't know what it is all about) and I'm looking for some feedback from experienced users.

Here is one of my GPSOut.ini file which works (sometime) :

Sentences=GGA,GSA

Interval=1000

Port=COM7

Speed=9600

PosTo6Decimal=No

I've tried to change PosTo6Decimal to Yes, I've tried to change some sentences (like an idiot), increase and decrease speed and the interval as well. Some works other sometime, some never.

Help would be very appreciate ! ;-)

* iPad 2 iOS 5.0.1 Jailbreaked + the payware "BTstack GPS" v1.6.1 which allows to connect any GPS Bluetooth to the iPad (even one which are not recognised by default)

[Pete Dowson]

I try to manage a connection between an iPad 2* connected via BlueTooth a COM Port on a PC where FS2004 runs with FSUIPC with GPSOut.

Unfortunetly the connection seems to be very unstable. Sometime it works, sometime not.

I would suspect the Bluetooth operation. I have an iPad1 and its Bluetooth output (e.g. to the Bose speaker system or to Bluetooth headsets) is fine, but when a friend and I tried linking our iPads for a two-player game, the connection was so bad (and we were sitting next to each other) that it was impossible. In other words, output from the iPad seems good, but input seems very iffy indeed.

I use a variety of programs for FS with the iPad -- AirTrack being a favourite, but also FSXRadar, FsxControl, FSXfollow and WideFSMap. These operate flawlessly, but of course they use the WiFi connection.

I don't think playing with any GSPout settings will help -- once you've found the correct NMEA sentences to suit the program, they will be arriving at your set time interval regardless. It must be to do with the connection. Maybe it's interference from other radio devices? Maybe distance? I don't know.

Regards

Pete

[vbazillio]

I don't think playing with any GSPout settings will help -- once you've found the correct NMEA sentences to suit the program, they will be arriving at your set time interval regardless. It must be to do with the connection. Maybe it's interference from other radio devices? Maybe distance? I don't know.

Thanks for the quick reply. I didn't think about bluetooth connection because the same iPad at the same place works fine with my GPS BlueTooth receiver without any lost. I hardly can imagine my PC Bluetooth may be interfere more than the one from a 2005'old receiver. But who knows, Bluetooth may be the problem.

Don't know how but I will investigate in that direction if nothing else arises.

Thansk again.

[Pete Dowson]

Thanks for the quick reply. I didn't think about bluetooth connection because the same iPad at the same place works fine with my GPS BlueTooth receiver without any lost. I hardly can imagine my PC Bluetooth may be interfere more than the one from a 2005'old receiver. But who knows, Bluetooth may be the problem.

Maybe it's the quality of the bluetooth output from the PC. Are you using one of those tiny cheap USB devices? I've found some of those a bit unreliable. It's likely that your GPS has a better quality device implemented.

Sorry, I've no other ideas.

Regards

Pete

[vbazillio]

Don't be sorry ! ;-) I'm not using any dongle or USB device... It's the Bluetooth of my DELL XPS420

[Pete Dowson]

Don't be sorry ! ;-) I'm not using any dongle or USB device... It's the Bluetooth of my DELL XPS420

A motherboard bluetooth? Any outside aerial? I would have thought even a USB dongle would have been better than a mobo implementation.

Regards

Pete

[vbazillio]

It"s the embedded Bluetooth of my Dell Desktop... I've never use before ;-) The desktop is close to my knees as my iPad. Will investigate... don't know really how... but...

[Pete Dowson]

It"s the embedded Bluetooth of my Dell Desktop... I've never use before ;-) The desktop is close to my knees as my iPad.

If it doesn't have an external aerial, and the case is metal, it is bound to suffer -- radio waves don't pass through so easily. It should have an external aerial really. Else try a USB dongle. Some are okay, some not, but they are cheap.

Pete

[vbazillio]

Thanks Peter. I will keep this thread updated ASAP.

[vbazillio]

After several tests (I even test my iPad with other PC/Laptop), Bluetooth seems to be steady and running well. Both PC and iPad are less than 1 meter distance ;-)

I suspect wrongly configuring Bluetooth - COM port association and the relevant GPSOut configuration. As if the iPad, correctly connected to the PC, don't received any info from the PC.

My bluetooth is link to COM7. My GPSOut.INI is

[GPSout]

Sentences=RMC,GGA,GSA

Interval=1500

Port=COM7

Speed=9600

PosTo6Decimal=No

Is there a were to debug/check log file to check that COM port is "receiving" info from GPSOUT ? Activating loging from FSUIPC doesn't show relevant information concerning GPSOut.

[Pete Dowson]

My GPSOut.INI is...

I assume you set the receiving program to read at 9600 as well? Most true GPS's default to the NMEA standard 4800.

Is there a were to debug/check log file to check that COM port is "receiving" info from GPSOUT ?

I use the advanced serial port monitor by AggSoft (see their website). You can use it free for atrial period. Otherwise you might try "PortMon" which is free.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896644

Pete

[vbazillio]

Nice tips. I tried the one from Aggsoft but it wasn't able to see virtual com port associated to bluetooth on my Seven. Will x-check again and see Portmon.

I even do not launch the GPS programme (my target is Air Nav Pro) because the Blutooth GPS stack (see screen cap above) shows directly datas... Actually do show nothing.

[vbazillio]

Doesn't see anything usefull in PortMon. At each FS9's launch, Portmon states :

- Process : FS9.EXE

- Request : IRP_MJ_CREATE

- Port : BthModem0

- Result : INVALID_PARAMETER

- Other : Options : Open

And nothing else.

PS : sorry, I really have the feeling to be pretty annoying ! ;-(

[Pete Dowson]

Doesn't see anything usefull in PortMon. At each FS9's launch, Portmon states :

- Process : FS9.EXE

- Request : IRP_MJ_CREATE

- Port : BthModem0

- Result : INVALID_PARAMETER

What's that 'Bthmodem0'?

It sounds like you aren't even managing to specify the correct port name. I thought you said it was COM7? Maybe the Bluetooth software in Windows simply doesn't support its use as a normal serial port?

Sorry, I'm lost. All GPSout does is open the serial port, with the name you provide, and chuck the stuff out. It has no feedback to tell it whether it gets anywhere. I've never heard of PortMon not seeing it. Try it on COM1, see what it says.

Pete

[vbazillio]

What's that 'Bthmodem0'?

It sounds like you aren't even managing to specify the correct port name. I thought you said it was COM7? Maybe the Bluetooth software in Windows simply doesn't support its use as a normal serial port?

It's the name used by PortMon :

Sorry, I'm lost. All GPSout does is open the serial port, with the name you provide, and chuck the stuff out. It has no feedback to tell it whether it gets anywhere. I've never heard of PortMon not seeing it. Try it on COM1, see what it says.

Unfortunetly I don't have a physical serial port on this computer. I assume GPSOUT is able to recognize the port PORT=COM7 because of reaction of PortMon every time I launch FS9. Behaviour maybe different because of the virtual COM port links to the Bluetooth stack.

On a regular and physical serial port, does PortMon shows tons of lines once FS and a flight has started ?

Anyway thanks for your support.

[vbazillio]

On a regular and physical serial port, does PortMon shows tons of lines once FS and a flight has started ?

I auto-reply to my question ;-)

When oriented to COM6 (GPSOUT : PORT=COM6), I see success communication from GPSOUT.

Something gets wrong since with on COM7... because it worked few time and now nomore.

Once again, thanks for your support, I feel less lonely ;-)

[Pete Dowson]

It's the name used by PortMon

Interesting. Have you tried using that name in GPSout instead of COM7?

Unfortunetly I don't have a physical serial port on this computer. I assume GPSOUT is able to recognize the port PORT=COM7 because of reaction of PortMon every time I launch FS9.

I don't know, sorry.

Behaviour maybe different because of the virtual COM port links to the Bluetooth stack.

It may be that the Bluetooth software needs some different handling comprared to COM and USB ports -- both of the latter certainly respond correctly to normal serial input output commands through Windows.

On a regular and physical serial port, does PortMon shows tons of lines once FS and a flight has started ?

Not "tons", just the NMEA lines at the interval requested.

I'm not sure how you can proceed from here. I don't have any PCs with Bluetooth on the motherboard -- I think it is quite rare, probably because of the metal shilelding problems without an external aerial. But I'll see if I can find a bluetooth USB device (I did have one someplace ...) and try that here.

[LATER]

I auto-reply to my question ;-)

Sorry, i saw that after! ;-)

Regards

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

... I'll see if I can find a bluetooth USB device (I did have one someplace ...) and try that here.

Found one, plugged it in -- it's a USB device, but i can't see it as a COM port in anything, not in Device manager, or PortMon or my Advanced Serial Port Monitor. I guess bluetooth drivers are not compatible with those types, at least not with this adapter. I've no idea how Pc programs link to Bluetooth devices.

Regards

Pete

[vbazillio]

Sorry, i saw that after

Hey, you DON'T HAVE to be sorry ! ;-)

Found one, plugged it in -- it's a USB device, but i can't see it as a COM port in anything, not in Device manager, or PortMon or my Advanced Serial Port Monitor. I guess bluetooth drivers are not compatible with those types, at least not with this adapter. I've no idea how Pc programs link to Bluetooth devices.

Have you created the COM Port manually ? I guess it's the only way to do so. Extract from http://www.tonyspenc...hconnection.htm :

• Open the Bluetooth Devices Control Panel.
  
• On the COM Ports tab, click Add.
  
• Select Incoming (device initiates the connection) and click OK.
  
• Note the number of the COM port that was added. The COM port number must be no higher than 20.
  
• Click OK to close the Bluetooth Devices Control Panel
  

[Pete Dowson]

Have you created the COM Port manually ? I guess it's the only way to do so.

Okay, that gives me "COM8" which I can assign, and view in my port monitor, but nothing comes out on it. What worries me is that "Incoming (device initiates the connection)". In this case it is the PC initiating things. So, i tried the other, the "Outgoing" selection, and had to choose my HP Inkjet printer -- my only other bluetooth device, a mobile earpiece, was refused on the grounds that it had no serial service.

Then Windows asked for the code to pair the device -- I guessed 0000 as I had no idea. That worked, though. When I loaded FSX and enabled its GPSout (same as yours but built into FSUIPC4), the printer actually printed the NMEA sentences I'd selected! RMA, RMC and GGA. BUT it only did it twice (6 lines), after first connection. Thereafter nothing ... even after a re-load of FSX.

And neither monitor, Portmon or the AGGSoft one, shows anything.

I think there's a lot more to it than simply stuffing data out, as is the case with normal serial connections.

Regards

Pete

[vbazillio]

Okay, that gives me "COM8" which I can assign, and view in my port monitor, but nothing comes out on it. What worries me is that "Incoming (device initiates the connection)". In this case it is the PC initiating things.

As it's the iPad which initiate the connection with the "BTStack GPS", it sounds logical that I used "Incoming". But I understand for your test, if you don't have bought the payware "BTstack GPS", you picked an "outgoing" one.

Thereafter nothing ... even after a re-load of FSX.

It sounds very closed to what I encountered ;-(